After readjusting the antennae or satellite on your old TV in hopes of fixing that junky picture and waiting on hold for hours with your cable company, can't you just close your eyes and imagine the flawless picture you would get on a new plasma TV? You spend the next several months dreaming about and saving for this incredible new TV, all the while thinking of the perfect clarity in which you will be able to watch your favorite shows. But before finally choosing the TV you will take home, you should know a little more about some common problems with plasma televisions.



Mounting a plasma TV is an initial problem for many purchasers. Because of their large size, they are often unwieldy and difficult to mount. Most consumers don't even know that mounting their plasma TV incorrectly automatically voids their warranty! Whether you install the set yourself or have a professional do it, be very careful not to grab the set in the wrong way--doing this can damage the screen and distort the images into a "starburst" pattern on portions of the screen.

A good rule of thumb is to never touch the screen, and a good way to make your investment last is to install a glass cover over the screen as a protective measure. Plasma screens don't stand up to the wear and tear regular televisions do, especially if you plan on using your plasma television as a gaming console. The Wii system looks great on a plasma screen, but not if you hit the screen by accident! People offer differing opinions on whether the new gaming system causes "burn-in" on plasmas, but you can expect to have no problems if you take extra care during the first 100 hours that you use your TV. The screen should also be dusted on a regular basis to avoid rainbow-like arcs in your pictures.

A few other difficulties with plasma TVs have to do with display. Ghost shadows and flickering during broadcasting have been reported, but both can be minimized with additional accessories from your plasma television manufacturer.

Plasma TV has amazing potential but is still a relatively new technology. As it is still in its early stages, there are bound to be bugs to be worked out. Remember that sometimes simply turning off the set for a little while before turning it back on again can correct a problem.